Movie Review for Salton Sea, The

Summary: After the murder of his beloved wife, Danny Parker, a man in search of redemption, is set adrift in a world where nothing is as it seems. On his journey, he befriends slacker Jimmy "The Finn", becomes involved in rescuing his neighbor Colette from her own demons, and gets entangled in a web of deceit full of unexpected twists and turns.

                         Reviews of Salton Sea, The
By Marc Savlov of Austin Chronicle (7/0)
            A solid piece of dirty work.

By Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times (7/0)
            I liked it because it was so endlessly, grotesquely, inventive.

By Steven D. Greydanus of Decent Films Guide (7/0)
            What the director can’t do is make either of Val Kilmer’s two personas interesting or...

By Kevin Lally of Film Journal International (7/0)
            Something's missing from the center of this self-consciously hip film noir: a hero you can feel f...

By MaryAnn Johanson of Flick Filosopher (7/0)
            Tony Gayton’s script doesn't give us anything we haven't seen before, but director D.J. Caruso's ...

By Rob Vaux of Flipside Movie Emporium (7/0)
            A neo-noir thriller as compelling as it is repugnant, it holds images and themes of such haunting...

                         Reviews of Salton Sea, The
By Ray Conlogue of Globe and Mail (7/0)
            If you are into splatter movies, then you will probably have a reasonably good time with The Salt...

By Steve Rhodes of Internet Reviews (7/0)
            Director Caruso got energetic performances out of every member of the large and talented cast. I...

By Liz Braun of Jam! Movies (7/0)
            The Salton Sea has moments of inspired humour, though every scrap is of the darkest variety.

By JoBlo of JoBlo's Movie Emporium (7/0)
            A special kind of movie, this melancholic film noir reminded me a lot of Memento...

By Mark Dujsik of Mark Reviews Movies (7/0)
            There’s something fundamental missing from this story: something or someone to care about.

By Frank Ochieng of Movie Eye (7/0)
            Overall, this examination of manufactured corruption set against a film noirish swagger may not h...

                         Reviews of Salton Sea, The
By Frank Ochieng of Movie Eye (7/0)
            Overall, this examination of manufactured corruption set against a film noirish swagger may not h...

By Michael Dequina of Mr. Brown's Movies (7/0)
            Even if it made its original release date last fall, it would've reeked of a been-there, done-tha...

By Stephen Holden of New York Times (7/0)
            The movie's accumulated force still feels like an ugly knot tightening in your stomach. But is th...

By Frank Swietek of One Guy's Opinion (7/0)
            In its scuzzy, bleary way it's perversely enjoyable--an instant classic among guilty pleasures.

By Jeanne Aufmuth of Palo Alto Weekly (7/0)
            Nearly manages to be what "Blow" couldn't - a perpetual night party that generates a sick fascina...

By Cynthia Fuchs of PopMatters (7/0)
            By the time you reach the finale, you're likely wondering why you've been watching all this strut...

                         Reviews of Salton Sea, The
By Laura Clifford of Reeling Reviews (7/0)
            Feature debuter D.J. Caruso directs a crack ensemble cast, bringing screenwriter Tony Gayton's na...

By Robin Clifford of Reeling Reviews (7/0)
            The script, like the character Danny, is complex and needs your attention...

By Ryan Cracknell of ReelTalk Movie Reviews (7/0)
            By getting myself wrapped up in the visuals and eccentricities of many of the characters, I found...

By James Berardinelli of ReelViews (7/0)
            A thriller with an edge -- which is to say that it doesn't follow the stale, standard, connect-th...

By Mark Halverson of Sacramento News & Review (7/0)
            The result is mesmerizing -- filled with menace and squalor.

By Mick LaSalle of San Francisco Chronicle (7/0)
            All the movie's narrative gymnastics can't disguise the fact that it's inauthentic at its core an...

                         Reviews of Salton Sea, The
By Jim Judy of Screen It! (7/0)
            Certainly not a film for everyone, the film's good points outweigh and outnumber the bad ones.

By William Arnold of Seattle Post-Intelligencer (7/0)
            The cumulative effect of the movie is repulsive and depressing.

By Rob Blackwelder of SPLICEDWire (7/0)
            has a plot full of twists upon knots...and a nonstop parade of mock-Tarantino scuzbag types that ...

By Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone of TheMovieChicks.com (7/0)
            Don't judge this one too soon - it's a dark, gritty story but it takes off in totally unexpected ...

By Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide's Movie Guide (7/0)
            This flashy noir pastiche, which is so buzzed on its own hopped-up style that no one seems to hav...

By Michael Atkinson of Village Voice (7/0)
            Eccentric enough to stave off doldrums, Caruso's self-conscious debut is also eminently forgettab...

                         Reviews of Salton Sea, The
By Tim Cogshell of Boxoffice Magazine (3/4) No reference
            It's a sharp movie about otherwise dull subjects.

By Robert K. Elder of Chicago Tribune (3/4) No reference
            Sacrificing content for style, Caruso gives us a lot to look at but little to ponder.

By Staci Layne Wilson of Fantastica Daily (3/4) No reference
            Is it a drug story, or a murder mystery? Is it a tale of revenge, or redemption? The Salton Sea t...

By Patrick Starkey of Film Threat (3/4) No reference
            Is authenticity too much to ask? It's not as if the various drug subcultures don't have enough hu...

By Marshall Fine of Journal News (Westchester, NY) (3/4) No reference
            Even with a green Mohawk and a sheet of fire-red flame tattoos covering his shoulder, however, Ki...

By Glenn Kenny of Premiere Magazine (3/4) No reference
            Caruso sometimes descends into sub-Tarantino cuteness ... but for the most part he makes sure The...

                         Reviews of Salton Sea, The
By Joe Baltake of Sacramento Bee (3/4) No reference
            It has the ability to offend and put off everyone, but it holds you with its outrageousness.

By David Elliott of San Diego Union-Tribune (3/4) No reference
            [A] slummer.

By John Venable of Supercala.com (3/4) No reference
            If you're wanting something nasty that may make you feel like you need a shower afterwards, then ...

Movie Distributors
Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution

Production Companies
Humble Journey Films
Darkwoods Productions
Castle Rock Entertainment

Movie Studios
Castle Rock Entertainment